Heart of Darkness
by psycholizard
Summary: *ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE* When River is kidnapped by an immortal psychopath, the crew needs the help of an old friend to find her. However, a psychic bond develops soon between Mal and River that could have disturbing consequences.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:** Firefly belongs to Joss Whedon & Co; Heroes belongs to Tim Kring & Co. There is no original content. I just like playing in their sandbox._

_**A/N: **Feedback would be lovely._

A dark man sat at a corner booth in a bar on Beylix. He watched the dancers in the centre of the floor move to the beat of the music. His drink sat before him, untouched. He was on the lookout. He knew what he wanted and was just waiting for it to walk through the door. He leaned back further into the darkness, letting it cloak his body and his mind. Then his attention was drawn to a group that had just walked through the door. He smiled to himself.

_This should be fun._

Mal and River walked hand in hand into the bar, followed closely by Simon and Kaylee, who were laughing and talking. Jayne and Zoë were close behind. Everyone was happy and rightly so. They had pulled off another successful job and had gotten paid. No one got shot, which, according to Simon, was a miracle.

The Captain had decided to bring them all out for a round of drinks and some well-deserved fun. They sat down in a booth and ordered their drinks. River pulled Mal up from his seat and dragged him to the dance floor. Simon and Kaylee soon followed, leaving Zoë and Jayne to sit and watch the happy couples.

Mal allowed himself to be dragged to the middle of the floor. He wasn't one for dancing. The last few times he did it caused him trouble. But for his girl, he would do anything. The crew had responded well and with little surprise when he announced that him and River were a couple.

Kaylee thought it was romantic, but she thought most things were. Zoë had engaged in some good old-fashioned teasing. She joked about his long time policy against crewmember romance. But she was happy for him. She had known him for years and was pleased to see him find someone compatible in mind and spirit who loved _Serenity_ as much as he did. Jayne's reaction was the most surprising.

"It's about ruttin time you two get together," he had said as he sharpened his knives. "Been makin' googly moon eyes at each other for months now. Was getting kinda sickenin' to watch."

Mal and River danced four dances, before Mal pulled away.

"I'm an old man, _bao bei_," he said as he gave her a kiss. "Don't have the stamina I used to." River winked at him suggestively.

"You had plenty of stamina last night," she whispered in his ear.

Mal chuckled.

"Reckon that's so," he replied. "You tired me out good and proper. Or not so proper."

River smiled and continued to sway to the music.

"One more dance, then I'll join you," she told him, twirling off into the crowd.

Mal walked over to where the rest of his crew were seated and ordered another drink. He watched as his little albatross spun and twirled to the beat of the music.

_God, she's beautiful._ Mal thought to himself. _I'm the luckiest hun dan in the 'verse._

"That was some mighty fine dancing, sir," Zoë interrupted his thoughts with a smile.

Mal looked at her and grinned.

"Well, she certainly keeps me on my toes," he replied. He looked up to watch her dance, then stood abruptly.

Kaylee and Simon looked up at him, their intimate conversation interrupted. Mal scanned the room. He couldn't see River.

"Sir," Zoë inquired, standing beside him. "Everything alright?"

Mal shook his head.

"You see River, Zoë?" he asked as he continued to scan the room.

Zoë looked out into the crowded bar and shook her head.

"I'm sure she just went to the ladies room, sir," Zoë responded.

Simon stood up next to Mal and began scanning the room as well.

"No," Mal shook his head. "Something's wrong, I can feel it. Kaylee, go check the ladies room just to be sure."

Kaylee nodded and headed off in that direction. Mal then turned to Simon, who had become more concerned.

"Doc, I want you and Jayne to take a look around the dance floor. Zoë, come with me. Everyone, meet back here in ten minutes if you haven't found her." With that, Mal walked off, intent on finding his lost pilot, but she was nowhere to be found.

After the allotted time searching hopelessly for River, they returned to the table. Simon was frantic with worry and Kaylee tried unsuccessfully to calm him down. Mal took stock of the situation carefully, trying not to let his fear and anxiety show.

"We'll head back to the ship," he began. "If anything's happened, she may head back there."

"Sir," Zoë said quietly. "Do you think she might have been taken against her will?"

Simon looked up sharply at her question.

"I don't think…" Simon began to say.

Mal quickly interrupted, "We don't know anything. Let's head back to the ship and figure this thing out."

As they left the bar, the crew didn't notice that the dark man, who had sat in the corner watching them, was no longer there.

* * *

River moved to the beat of the music. The rise and fall guided her dance and she moved with grace on the floor. She looked up and saw her Captain watching her dance and she smiled at him. She used to dance for herself, until she found someone to share the dance with. Right now, her dance was for him.

Mal looked away for a moment, listening to something Zoë said, and River stopped.

She could feel him before she saw him. She felt his darkness tick-tock it's way across the floor and it threatened to overtake her. It was stifling and cold and dampened every feeling. She reached out with her mind and tried to find Mal, but the dark was too much. She felt a body move behind her and a hand grabbed her arm.

"If you come quietly with me, then I won't kill your Captain," a low voice hissed in her ear.

She reached out and probed his mind and his intent. The images flooded her and invaded her psyche. She staggered and gasped at what she saw. She looked at Mal and saw that he was still distracted. She knew he wouldn't see her leave. No doubt, that is what this stranger intended and had been watching for.

The man pulled her toward the back door, away from her crew.

Silently, she begged for Mal to look in her direction, but the bar was too loud and he didn't hear. River sensed she had no choice, so she followed the man out of the bar and into the dark night.

"What do you want with me?" she asked when they were outside.

The man gave a low chuckle and pulled out a needle filled with fluid. In one swift motion, he jabbed her in the arm. He began to drag her away from the bar, in the direction of _Serenity._ Finally, he spoke in that low baritone voice sending shivers up River's spine.

"So many answers to that one little question," he said turning his face toward her.

River couldn't make out his features in the night. The man spoke in a deep monotone, cold and emotionless.

"I want to see how you work," he said. "Now, hurry up, we have to get to your precious ship before your crew mates discover your absence. I have a lot of work to do."

They reached the ship a few minutes later and the man entered the access code to gain entry. He pulled her inside the cargo hold and River caught a glimpse of his face for the first time. He was tall and lean with short dark hair. He could be counted as handsome upon first glance, but further inspection revealed an evil that overtook his soul. It was his eyes. They were dark and full of anger and hate. He looked at her and River felt his eyes pierce her soul. She turned away quickly and felt the fear seep in and it threatened to drown her. She knew that she had been taken by a man as powerful as her and that scared her. She thought she had no equal in the 'verse except for Peter Petrelli. Now she knew better. This man could overpower her easily.

He pulled out a piece of rope and a gag and proceeded to bind her wrists and gag her mouth. She tried, but she could not bring herself to fight him. She felt his amusement and knew this was part of his plan.

"Tsk, tsk, little River," he said as he tied the rope tightly twice around her wrists. "I expected a bit more of a fuss from you. I didn't think you would go so easily. Or, are you conserving your energy? That's probably a wise idea. You're going to need it for what I have planned."

River felt unable to respond. Her tongue felt like it was dead weight in her mouth and her feet felt heavy. She stumbled as the man dragged her on to the bridge of her ship and sat her down in the pilot's chair. He pulled out a capture and began speaking into it.

River realized slowly that he was leaving a message for Mal to find. Halfway through his message, he pulled her into the frame, dragging her down onto his lap. She looked wide-eyed at the vidscreen in front of her, unsure what to do or how to act. She felt nauseated and dizzy and realized as she fell unconscious, that the substance he had injected her with was taking effect.

The man chuckled and looked down at her. She was beautiful and now she was his. She was his shiny new toy. He was going to have so much fun figuring out what made her tick.

The man turned off the capture and hoisted her up in his arms. He walked back down to the cargo bay and exited the ship the way they had come in. A few feet from where _Serenity_ was docked there was another small vessel, large enough for just two people. He lifted River in and strapped her into one of the seats. He looked over at _Serenity_ and watched as the crew entered, searching for their lost crewmate. The timing was perfect. He smiled to himself and imagined what was occurring within the ship at this moment. Then, without wasting anymore time, he strapped himself in next to River and took off.


	2. Chapter 2

Mal strode purposefully onto the ship, his crew trailing behind. A quick glance of the cargo bay showed that River was no where in sight. Mal gave a quick nod to Jayne and Zoe, who began to pull out grates and panels to see if she had hidden away in one of the smuggler's nooks. Kaylee and Simon searched through her room and the corridors as they tried to find any indication she was back on board. Mal knew they would find nothing. His River was gone. She had been taken against her will. He could feel it. He had a foreboding sense of dread that something terrible had happened to her and he had done nothing to stop it, not that he could've. He slammed his fist hard against the bulkhead in anger.

"Captain, we can't find any sign of her," Zoe stated as she walked up beside him. Mal rubbed his eyes and looked at his first mate. Without saying a word, he walked away.

Mal headed up to the bridge and stood by River's seat. He touched the coarse material covering the pilot's seat and closed his eyes. He could almost feel her presence as he tried to recall anything unusual at the bar. Zoe followed him onto the bridge and stood loyally off to the side.

"Zoe," he said, turning to look at his second. "Did you see anything unusual? I'm trying to remember. But I don't think there was anything strange that happened tonight. Maybe I missed something." Zoe put one hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. She had seen him upset before and had become adept at reading the signs. He cared deeply for River, perhaps too deeply in some ways. It reminded her of Wash.

"No, sir," she responded. "There was nothing unusual. And you know River didn't feel anything, else she would've said something. It's her way." Mal nodded and sighed.

"Where is she, Zoe?" he asked. Zoe shook her head.

"Wish I had an answer for that, sir" she replied then nodded in the direction of his hand. "You should get Simon to look at that Mal."

Mal glanced down and noticed his hand was bleeding, no doubt from when he punched the bulkhead. He was about to reply when Simon and Kaylee walked onto the bridge, followed closely by Jayne.

"Any sign of them?" Simon asked anxiously. He was worried and felt helpless. He didn't know where his sister was and why she had seemingly disappeared. Mal looked down without answering. Simon looked beseechingly at Zoe for any sort of hope. Hope that she couldn't give. Simon sat down heavily in the co-pilot's chair and buried his face in his hands. Kaylee walked over and rubbed his shoulder in comfort, but even she looked as though she were about to break down and cry. Simon stared at the floor, wracking his brain for any memory of anything that might have been slightly off that evening. He could think of nothing.

Something in the corner of the bridge caught his eye. It looked like a capture that had been dropped in haste. Simon bent down and picked it up.

"Captain!" he exclaimed as he turned it over and saw the picture displayed on the screen. Mal turned around and noticed the screen in his hands. He grabbed it and pressed the play button.

The crew gathered around and watched as a man sat down in the pilot's chair and adjusted the vid screen in front of him. He appeared as though was holding onto something just off capture, but they couldn't tell what it was.

"Captain Reynolds," he spoke at the screen. "I'm sure you're probably wondering who I am and why I'm sitting on your bridge recording this message. By now, you've no doubt noticed the disappearance of your lovely pilot, River Tam. Don't worry, Captain, she's safe. For now." With this statement, he pulled River into view. She stumbled into the frame and fell into the man's lap, bound and gagged. Kaylee gasped and buried her face in Simon's shoulder. Simon put his arm around her in comfort.

"She's drugged," Simon informed them, in his clinically detached manner. Mal looked closer at his bao bei on the screen. She looked sedated and her pupils were dilated. Her head lolled forward as the man on the screen continued to speak.

"As you can see, I've taken River into my custody. She'll be safe from the Alliance, that much I can promise you. You see, Captain Reynolds, I found out from your friend, Peter Petrelli, that River is a pretty toy created by the Blue Sun Corporation and as such, I decided I wanted her. So I took her. Now, River is my new toy. She is shiny and interesting and I'm going to have a lot of fun seeing how she works. And when I'm done, I will kill her." Zoe let out a string of curses and Kaylee began to cry. On the vid screen, River passed out from the heavy drugs. If she was even aware of what this man was saying, there was no sign of it. Mal hoped to whatever God was governing the 'verse that she had no idea of the evil seeping through this man's soul.

"You cannot rescue her, Captain Reynolds. You will never find me. You will never find her. My suggestion is to forget she even exists." The man on the screen looked down at the unconscious girl in his lap and gave a low chuckle.

"By the way, Captain," he continued. "My name is Sylar." The man stood and stopped the recording. Mal threw the capture against the wall and let out a string of curses.

"_Wo de tian, a_," Zoe said quietly and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Kaylee, fire up the engine, Zoe I need you to pilot us outta here," Mal tried to collect his thoughts as he paced back and forth across the bridge.

"But Captain, River might still be on the planet surface!" Simon protested. "You can't just leave her." Mal looked over at the doc and recognized the fear and concern etched on his face. They were emotions Mal himself was feeling acutely.

"I ain't just leaving her, doc," he said in a low voice. "I made a promise to her a long time ago. One I intend to keep." Simon understood. It had taken him a few months to finally accept the Captain's relationship with his sister, but in the end, he knew there was no one better suited to her. Mal had a fiercesome protective streak in him and would fight for her to the bitter end.

"What's your plan, Captain?" he asked.

"Only one man in the 'verse I know might be able to locate her," he replied then turned to Zoe. "Zoe, set a course for Beaumonde. I need to speak with Peter Petrelli."

_Wo de tian, a_ – Dear God in Heaven


	3. Chapter 3

The ship came into low orbit around Beaumonde eighteen hours later. Mal sat on the bridge next to Zoe in stony silence. He stared out at the planet looming before them and replayed the kidnapper's message in his mind. He cursed and turned to Zoe.

"He was on my gorram ship Zoe!" he exclaimed, banging his fists against the console. "My ship! He brought her here and recorded that gorram message, knowing we would return in short order. How did he know that?" Zoe looked over at him and shook her head.

"I don't know, sir," she replied. In the ten years she had known Mal, she had never seen him get this distraught over anyone. Then again, she had never seen him truly give his heart to someone. If they couldn't find River, she knew without a doubt that it would destroy him in a way Serenity Valley never could.

"Damn it!" he cursed. "I'm gonna find her, Zoe. I ain't ever giving up the search. Even if I'm old and grey and the Alliance feds are breathin down my neck, waitin for me to kick so's they can reposses my ship. I'm never gonna stop looking for her."

"What makes you think Peter is gonna be able to help, sir?" Zoe replied as she took the ship off autopilot and into manual. "I know he has special abilities and all, but what does he know that we don't? And what makes you think we can trust him anyways? That man said it was Peter that told him about River." Zoe began the landing sequence and flew the ship down toward the docks at New Duinsmore. Mal paused before answering.

"Few weeks ago, I was almost asleep when River leaned over and whispered in my ear," he began. "She said if anything ever happened to her, anything at all, I was to go find Peter."

Zoe expertly navigated the ship into the docking area and lowered the breaking clamps. _Serenity_ shuddered to a stop and was still.

"Think she knew something was gonna happen, sir?" Zoe asked, turning in her chair to face him. It was a possibility since River was a reader, but Mal wasn't sure.

"Maybe she knew something might happen one day," he replied and Zoe was struck by how tired he looked.

"But she's always warned me about danger right before it happens. Don't know why she wouldn't this time," he continued as he stood and walked to the comm channel. His voice echoed throughout the ship.

"This is the Captain speaking," he said into the mouthpiece. "We've landed on Beaumonde. I want everyone to meet me in the cargo bay."

The crew assembled a few minutes later, prepared to leave the ship. Simon looked tired and haggard. He had spent the last eighteen hours organizing his infirmary and hadn't eaten or slept. In fact, no one except Jayne looked as though they had eaten or slept but even Jayne looked more worried than usual. Though he would never admit it, he had grown used to River's presence and didn't mind her hanging around now. Since Miranda, she had been acting more sane and provided Jayne with some interesting conversation about his weapons. He liked having someone around that understood guns the way he did. River had come into their lives like a storm wreaking havoc along the way, but now no one could imagine life on board without her. Especially Mal.

"Here's the plan," Mal said as he surveyed his crew. "Zoe, Jayne and I will head into the city to find Peter. Simon and Kaylee, I need you two to stay on board." The doctor opened his mouth to protest but Mal held out a hand to silence him.

"Doc, someone has to stay on board in case River or anyone else tries to contact us," Mal stated. "And I need you here to man the infirmary in case something goes wrong, _dong ma?_ Kaylee, I need you to keep the engine warm, I don't intend to stay planetside for very long. Let's head out."

Mal strode purposefully down the ramp and into the bustling street followed closely by Zoe and Jayne. Clutched tightly in his hand was a piece of paper with a single address on it. Before he left the ship, Peter had given River the information to contact him, if the need arose and River had shared this with Mal.

They turned down a dark alleyway and stopped at an unmarked door. Jayne looked up and down the deserted section of the city, watching for any suspicious activity. He kept one hand on the gun in his holster, just in case. Mal knocked three times on the door, waited a moment, then knocked twice more. The door creaked open slowly, and the three smugglers filed in.

The room they entered was dark and dank and looked empty. Mal knew better.

"Peter," he said to the empty room. "I don't have time for games right now."

Suddenly, Peter appeared right in front of Jayne from nothing. Jayne took a step back in surprise and swore. Peter smirked at the mercenary's reaction then turned to face Mal.

"What can I do for you, Captain?" Peter asked, leaning against a wall casually. Much as he respected the man and what he did at the Academy, Mal still couldn't stand him. He found Peter arrogant and a tad reckless. River once told him that Peter reminded her of him but personally, Mal couldn't see the resemblance.

"River's been kidnapped, Peter," Mal replied, cutting straight to the chase. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the capture that had been left on the bridge. Peter stood up straight and took it from his outstretched hand. He watched the message once, then replayed it and watched it again.

"Son of a bitch," he swore quietly. He looked up at Mal and handed him back the capture.

"Do you know this fella?" Mal asked as he took in Peter's reaction. Peter nodded affirmative.

"Gabriel Sylar, otherwise known as Gabriel Gray. You could call him my nemesis. He's been around since the beginning," Peter stated. Jayne looked at him quizzically.

"The beginning of what?" he asked in confusion.

"The beginning of everything," Peter replied. In Jayne's opinion, this didn't clear up a damn thing, but before they could get off track, Mal interrupted.

"So do you know where he is?" he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. Peter shook his head and mirrored Mal's stance.

"No, and it's not that easy," he replied. "Sylar won't be found unless he wants to be found. He'll lead you on a merry chase of cat and mouse. You've seen my power, Captain. This man is equally as powerful as I am and ten times more psychotic. You won't find him, or River, unless he wants you to find him." Peter regarded the three people standing before him before he continued speaking.

"A few weeks after the Academy job, I had a run-in with Sylar. I had gone back to the Academy to liberate a few classified files from Company hands. It seems Sylar had discovered the Company was alive and well and had the same idea I did. I wasn't sure which files he got his hands on, since several files had been destroyed by the virus River and I planted in the system. So instead, I chose to track his movements. I was able to track him up until a few weeks ago. His last known stop was Sihnon. After that, he disappeared. Like I said, he won't be found unless he wants to be found."

"So where does that leave us, then?" Zoe questioned. "We can't just leave River at this man's mercy. If he's as powerful as you say, he could destroy her." Mal sucked in his breath at this statement. It was a possibility he didn't even want to entertain at this moment, even though it loomed at the back of his mind. Peter eyed him critically.

"No, and I wouldn't suggest it either," he replied, looking directly at the formidable woman before him. "He wouldn't have left you this message if he didn't want you to hunt for her. It's all a game to Sylar. One endless mind game, stretching throughout the centuries." Mal looked at him and his eyes narrowed.

"What's that sposed to mean, Petrelli?" he asked. Peter looked down for a moment, before facing Mal.

"It means that Sylar knew that you wouldn't leave this alone. He knew that River was far too important and valuable for you to just forget about her. But he knew you wouldn't be able to find her by yourself. You would need someone to help you find her," Peter replied, then paused. He carefully examined each crew member for their reaction before he continued.

"And he knew that because of our past association, the person you sought would be me."

Hun dan - bastard 


	4. Chapter 4

River woke up alone in a dark room, void of all perception of time or space. She was strapped into a chair, her hands and feet still bound. Mercifully, the gag had been removed so she was able to breathe properly and without impediment. She tested her bonds systematically before she paused and listened to the unusual silence. There was something drastically wrong. She could not feel the thrum of an engine under her feet, which meant she was no longer on board a ship. River knew she was either on a planet or a moon but since she had no idea how long she had been unconscious, she could not calculate which planet she could be on.

She felt helpless.

"Hello, precious," a man's deep voice echoed through the room. It was the man that drugged her! River looked around on instinct, before she realized it was a futile effort. She couldn't see anything. The man chuckled and the low gravelly sound echoed in her ears. She felt the fear bubble up inside and focused on her breathing in an attempt to quell it.

_In, out, in, out._

She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, trying to locate the dark voice that spoke to her.

_Stay away from my mind! _

The man pushed her psyche away with such a powerful force that it would have knocked her over, had she not been tied up in a chair. River felt as though someone had punched her in the gut and coughed, trying to regain her breath. Her eyes flew open and she almost expected to see him towering over her.

"Impressive," he said through the darkness. "But not nearly impressive enough."

Suddenly, a torrent of images flooded her mind and invaded her senses. She tried desperately but was unable to push them out.

Somewhere in the darkness, she thought she could hear Mal.

_Hang on, bao bei._

Somewhere in the darkness, River screamed.

* * *

Mal awoke with a start. He flailed around for a moment, his mind confused and his sheets and body drenched with his sweat. He could feel the fear threaten to overwhelm him and he took a deep breath to calm himself.

_In, out, in, out._

"River," he gasped. He had dreamt of her again. It was disturbing and so very, very real. She was in a room, tied to a chair and was screaming. It was a loud piercing shriek that cut right to his core.

Thoroughly shaken, Mal quickly climbed out of bed and reached over to grab a nearby towel to dry the sweat off his body. He glanced at the clock sitting on his nightstand and sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had been asleep less than an hour.

They had taken off from Beaumonde earlier that evening, joined by Peter Petrelli. Zoe had ordered to go to bed right away, saying he wouldn't be of any use to River if he were dead from exhaustion. He hated to admit that she was right, but he had fallen asleep the moment his head had hit the pillow and then the dream had started. God, it felt so real. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pulled on his pants and a shirt. He doubted he'd be able to fall back asleep so he headed toward the dining room to make himself a cup of coffee.

Mal was surprised to see Jayne still sitting up, polishing his guns. He gave a quick nod as Mal entered, acknowledging his presence.

"What are you doing still up?" Mal inquired as he walked over to the stove and discovered a fresh pot of coffee had been recently brewed. Jayne barely gave him a glance as he continued to polish his weapons.

"Cleaning my guns, Mal," he replied. He picked up a rag and dipped it in some grease. He used long strokes and polished the barrel of a semi-automatic. Mal poured himself a cup of the protein based caffeinated sludge they called coffee.

"Want some coffee, Jayne?" he asked, lifting the coffeepot in his direction. Jayne nodded and Mal filled a mug for him.

"Why're you up cleaning your guns so late, Jayne?" Mal asked as he sat down and sipped at his hot beverage. Jayne paused slightly in his motions before he looked up at the Captain.

"I like having my guns in top condition, Captain," he replied as he resumed his polishing. "That way they're ready if'n I need 'em in a hurry. And I don't have to worry 'bout them in a fight. Sides, don't see that it matters when I clean 'em." Mal gave a wry grin.

"No, I don't suppose it does," he responded. He tipped his mug back and drank the last few drops of the muddy brown coffee flavored protein. Mal stood up and walked to the door, heading to the bridge to check their course. Before he exited, he paused and looked back at his mercenary.

"Hey Jayne," he said as he left. Jayne looked up at the Captain standing by the door.

"Try and get some sleep. We have a big fight ahead of us." He said as he exited.

On his way to the bridge, Mal paused for a moment to run his hands along the bulkhead. It was a movement he had often seen River do during her times of introspection. He smiled fondly at the memory of her movements.

_River paused and touched the bulkhead, closing her eyes as though in communion with the ship. Mal stopped walking and turned to look at her._

"_Bao bei?" he questioned. He reached out and lightly brushed away the hair covering her face. River opened her eyes and smiled at him._

"_She's speaking," she said to him. Mal smiled down and cupped her face in his hands._

"_Yeah?" he replied. "What's she saying?"_

"_I love you."_

_Mal grinned as he leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the lips._

Taking a deep breath, Mal continued walking right onto the bridge. Peter sat at the controls, maneuvering his ship toward the planet's surface. Peter looked up and acknowledged his presence with a nod.

"We'll be landing in approximately 10 minutes, Captain," Peter said in a serious tone. Mal nodded, too tired to formulate a coherent answer. He sat down in the seat next to Peter and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"You look like you haven't slept in days," Peter commented. He adjusted a few switches and turned his chair around to face Mal. Mal looked up at him and Peter was struck by how haggard he looked. His hair was disheveled and he had dark rings under his eyes.

"I feel like I haven't," Mal replied. He picked up one of Wash's old dinosaur's which still sat in a place of honor up front, and turned it over in his hands.

"I've been having these intense dreams. They started right after River disappeared," he continued, placing the dinosaur back on the console next to his friends. What kind of dinosaur was it? River would know, he thought to himself. Peter regarded him silently for a moment.

"What have you dreamt about?" he inquired. He adjusted some switches and took the ship off auto-pilot. He took hold of the controls and began to pilot the ship downward toward the planet's surface.

"Mostly dreams of her," Mal replied as he leaned back in the chair and strapped himself in. "It's been the same dream every time I fall asleep. It's so real and life like. Almost as though I could reach out and touch her. But it always ends the same way and I wake up."

"Describe it to me," Peter said. He maneuvered the ship down toward the docking bay and extended the docking clamps. Mal closed his eyes and tried to remember the details of his dream.

"We're in a dark room," he began. "River is tied up to a chair. I tell her to hang on I'm coming. Then a man starts to laugh. River screams, and I wake up." Peter glanced over at him and was silent. He finished the landing sequence safely and the ship shuddered to a stop. Peter stared at Mal intently, silently probing him for an answer to the mystery behind the Captain's sleepless night.

"What if it's not a dream?" he asked after a moment. Mal nodded as he looked out the forward window.

"Thought crossed my mind," he replied after a moment. "River's psychic. We've bonded. Maybe there's some sort of psychic bond there that I don't know about."

"River is one of the most powerful psychics I've ever encountered," Peter said. "She may be sending you a message, consciously or subconsciously because she knows you're looking for her."

"So what do I do?" Mal asked as he unstrapped himself from the chair and slowly stood up. He reached out and grabbed the back of his chair to steady himself. The exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him. It wasn't just physical, it was mental and emotional as well. River gave meaning to a life that had been defeated by Serenity Valley.

"I can't continue on like this. I don't choose to wake up, it just happens."

"I might be able to help you," Peter replied. They stood and left the bridge. "Tonight, with your permission, I'd like to guide you in a sort of psychic meditation. I would have to enter your dream with you, but if there's a psychic link, we might be able to strengthen it. Of course, there is the possibility that Sylar might pick up on it. It's a risk we'd have to take."

"I don't want to do anything that's gonna put River at more risk," Mal responded. "I can forgo a few hours of sleep if'n it means she stays alive a few more days."

"It's your decision, Mal," Peter answered. "But if it helps us locate River, then I think it's worth the risk." Mal considered the man's words before he answered.

"Let me think about it," he replied after a moment.

"Fair enough," Peter said as they walked toward the cargo bay. "Guess we have to handle this first anyway."

"Ready to do this, Sir?" Zoe questioned as they approached the ramp. Mal grimaced. Fact was, he didn't want to do this. Not one bit. In fact, he would rather be anywhere but here. Nevertheless, it needed to be done so he gave Zoe a curt nod.

She pushed a button and lowered the ramp. The three of them walked out into the beautiful oasis known as Sihnon and were met by someone Mal and Zoe had not seen in a very long time.

"Hello Inara," he said with a grimace.


	5. Chapter 5

Inara narrowed her eyes as she watched Zoe, the Captain, and a man she didn't recognize, walk down the ramp toward her. It had only been a year since she had said goodbye to the ship and her crew but the Captain looked older and more worn than she remembered. He was tired. Then again, judging by the message he had sent her, he had every reason to look this way.

"Captain," she said with formality. She turned and looked at Zoe and gave a slight nod. Zoe stood tall and proud beside her captain, giving him her unwavering support. She acknowledged Inara with a curt nod and a steady glare. The Companion didn't garner much respect with the Soldier since her departure last year.

Peter picked up on the cool exchange; there was a lot of anger and unspoken feelings on both sides, but Zoe felt it keenly. She was a soldier and loyalty meant everything.

"Who is this?" Inara questioned, looking at Peter.

"This is Peter Petrelli," Mal replied. Inara curtsied and smiled.

"Mr. Petrelli, it's a pleasure to meet you," she replied.

"Likewise, Miss Inara," Peter replied as he took her hand and bowed slightly. Inara quietly sized him up. He was handsome enough and did not look like a threat, but the long sword strapped to his back told a different story.

"If you follow me, I have tea waiting inside," she said as she turned and walked into the House of Madrassa.

Peter followed closely behind Mal and Zoe as they walked toward the grandiose Training Centre. He had found out from the bright young mechanic that there had been a Companion on board for nearly a year that knew both River and Simon. Kaylee hadn't told him much, but from what he gathered, the Companion had betrayed the crew during a job. Apparently, she had returned to Sihnon nearly a year ago.

Peter privately approached Mal shortly after his conversation with Kaylee and suggested they set a course for Sihnon so he could question Inara. Mal had been reluctant but once Peter reminded him that Sylar had visited Sihnon not long ago he had set a course with no hesitation. After all, they were not just dealing with a petty criminal, but a 500-year-old psychopathic murderer with centuries of experience perfecting his sociopathic art.

So here they stood, about to enter the famed House of Madrassa and Peter didn't have to be a psychic to see that both Mal and Zoe would rather be anywhere else but here.

Inara led them down a long hallway decorated with centuries old art from Earth-that-was into a private room with a low table set-up in the center. One entire wall was replaced by a window, which looked out onto the sprawling landscape below. The room was sparsely decorated allowing the natural beauty to be the focus.

"Please sit," Inara said, pointing to several cushions lying around the low table as she knelt and began pouring the tea.

"I admit, I was surprised to receive your message," she began. "More surprised when I heard the nature of it."

Peter knelt at the table and removed his sword, placing it beside him on the floor. He took a small sip of the tea and tried to hide a grimace at the spicy bitterness of the drink. Five hundred years had done nothing to refine his tastebuds. He still preferred a strong brewed cup of coffee to any sort of flowery brew. Mal and Zoe were still standing hadn't touched their cups.

"Well, it wasn't my first choice," Mal replied, giving her a challenging stare.

"I still stand by my decision, Mal," Inara replied after a moment. "I don't regret what I did."

"Of course you don't, 'Nara, that's why you're back here and not on the ship," Mal responded.

"This still doesn't explain why you're here," Inara replied, placing her teacup on the table in front of her.

"You are aware that River has been kidnapped," Peter said as he leaned against the table. Inara looked at the stranger and nodded.

"Well, we need your help finding her," he continued. Inara stared for a moment at him, then looked back and forth between Mal and Zoe.

"Why would you need my help?" she replied after a moment of silence. "And what could I possibly do, anyway?"

Peter stood up from his position on the floor and paced back and forth across the floor, stopping to look out the giant window. He gazed out at the sprawling landscape below him. It reminded him so much of Japan from Earth-that-was. He glanced at Inara out of the corner of his eye and saw that she was waiting expectantly for him to speak.

"I believe the man that might have kidnapped River may have been a client of yours in the past. If this is correct, he may have attempted to glean information about River from you," Peter said. Inara was affronted. Never in her entire career had she been accused of sharing personal information, even though she was often the recipient of confidential information from clients who felt compelled to share during a moment of intimacy.

"Whatever they may have told you, I never speak about my personal life or the lives of my acquaintances to a client. It is strictly professional and business," she stood as she spoke and walked over to stand beside Peter. Mal opened his mouth to interrupt but Zoe placed a hand on his arm to silence him.

"He's psychic, Miss Serra," Peter replied, turning to face her. "You wouldn't have needed to speak. You wouldn't even have needed to think directly about the matter. He would've dug deeply into the crevices of your pretty little mind to find the exact information he needed."

"There are specific Guild laws surrounding the privacy of clients," she responded slowly. "Even if I did recognize who he was, there is a specific procedure surrounding the release of any information."

"I could pull the information that I need from you, but I'd rather you tell me." Inara looked shocked so Peter continued.

"Yes," he said. "I'm psychic, too. But I have more respect for people's privacy. However, I need to know what you know and I will go to any lengths to get it." Inara narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips together.

"Then it appears you leave me with no choice," she answered.

"It appears not," Peter replied. "Now, what do you know about Gabriel Gray?" Inara

"That depends on what information you need," she said, looking at Peter. Peter smiled at her and pulled the capture out of his jacket pocket. He showed her the message left by Sylar and watched carefully for any signs of recognition. She played the message, stifling a gasp when River came on the screen.

"Any information would be preferable," he replied after she had watched the entire clip.

"Garbiel Gray." Inara sighed and paced across the floor. "He became one of my regular clients shortly after I left _Serenity_. But he hasn't visited me in over three months. He said he was a collector of antiques from Earth-that-was. Quite impressed with the House collection, if I recall correctly. He told me he spent a lot of time travelling throughout the system hunting for antiquities and was curious as to whether or not I had ever left Sihnon." She buried her face in her hands and took a deep, shaky breath.

"My God," she continued. "I told him I spent time on a Firefly. He was using me." She paused then looked at Mal still sitting by the table.

"Yeah, I reckon that's exactly what he was doing," Mal said quietly.

"I'd like to come with you," Inara said, her voice subdued. "I'd like to help."

"Go pack your bag, if you're not out there in ten, we leave without you," Mal replied.

"Thank you," she responded gratefully. Inara walked gracefully out of the room and collapsed against the wall in the hallway when she was out of sight. She felt as though her breath had been stolen from her and needed a moment to compose herself. River had been kidnapped and her kidnapper had used her to gain the information to do it.

Back in the room, Zoe turned to face her Captain.

"You sure that's the wisest idea, sir?" she asked as she folded her arms across her chest. Mal put his hands on his hips and looked over at her. She rarely questioned him, and only if the situation warranted. But she was ever afraid to state her opinion. That's one of the reasons he trusted her with his life. He always knew where she stood.

"She knows this guy, Zoe," he replied. "You heard her yourself. He's been a regular client for months. She could have more information on his behavior that could be of some use to us. At any rate, way I figure it, Peter'll be able to search for any more information that might be locked away in that brain of hers. At this point, I'd do anything to find River. Even if it means taking that woman back on my ship."

"I can appreciate that, Captain," Zoe responded. "But she nearly betrayed us. Called the Feds on us in the middle of a job. Her actions meant River and Simon could have been recaptured by the Alliance. Not to mention the rest of us locked away for good. You willing to take the risk she won't do that again?"

"No risk to be taken," Mal said, looking over at Peter, who was still standing by the window. "Peter here's gonna keep an eye on her for me." Peter looked up at him sharply.

"Excuse me?" he asked and headed over to where they were standing. Mal folded his arms in a defensive stance.

"That's right," Mal replied facing him. "Way I figure it, you'll be able to tell if she's lying or fixing to betray us again, what with you being psychic and all. Look, I'm not aiming to put you on babysitting duty. But I don't trust Inara farther than I could throw her, which I admit isn't very far. You're the best person to keep an eye on her, figure out what's going on in that little brain of hers. Make sure we don't have a repeat of last time."

"What exactly did happen last time?" Peter inquired. He could easily pull it from their minds, but he wanted them to tell him outright.

"You can ask Inara later," was Mal's only response. Peter opened his mouth to speak when Inara walked back into the room and interrupted their conversation. She was carrying a small bag, which Mal assumed was filled with personals.

"That was quick," Mal said suspiciously as he eyed her up and down.

"You seemed to be in a hurry," Inara replied.

They were back on the ship a few moments later and were met by Kaylee and Jayne in the cargo bay. Kaylee took a step back when she saw Inara and gave a tentative smile.

"Hey, 'Nara," she greeted quietly. She used to like Inara but the incident a year ago had hurt her deeply. River said it stole some of her sunshine. Right now, Kaylee was uncertain how to act toward the woman that used to call her _mei mei_. Inara smiled softly and returned her greeting. Jayne, however, was not so welcoming.

"What the hell's she doin here, Mal?" he demanded to know.

"She has information on the man that took River," Mal replied. "For that reason, and that reason alone, I brought her onboard. She's confined to the passenger dorms for the duration of the flight, except to eat, and Peter will be keeping an eye on her to ensure there's no repeat of what happened last time." Jayne shook his head in disbelief, unwilling to let this matter go.

"Listen Mal, I know you want to find l'il Crazy real bad," he began to rant. "Hell, you got a better reason then any of us. But this is insane. She called the Feds on us. Coulda gotten us all killed with her antics." Inara looked down in shame. She truly hadn't meant as much harm to befall the crew as what happened. But there was no denying that her actions were born out of feelings and emotions unbecoming of one of her status. Mal watched her reaction out of the corner of his eye before he responded.

"She's staying and that's final," he replied as he strode toward the bridge. "I want everyone to prepare for take-off. We're heading out."

The rest of the crew watched him leave, then dispersed to perform their duties. Peter and Inara were left alone in the cargo bay. Peter slung Inara's small bag over one shoulder then took her by the arm and led her toward the passenger dorms.

"You sure pissed them off," he said, looking back at her trailing behind him. She shot him an annoyed look and wrenched her arm free.

"I know my way around this ship, Mr. Petrelli," she responded as she marched ahead of him and into the room. "And I'm sure you got a very one-sided version of the story. I was only doing what I thought best at the time." Peter chuckled and dropped her bag on the bed.

"Don't call me Mr. Petrelli. Makes me think of my father, and I didn't much like his company," he replied with a smirk as he turned to leave. Before he shut the door, he looked at her, sitting on the bed.

"For the record," he continued. "I prefer to have both sides of the story before I make any judgments and as you pointed out, I only got one. Good night, Miss Serra."

Peter slid the door shut and locked it from the outside. Inara listened to the sound of the door being bolted and slid down onto the bed. Taking a shaky breath, she tried to quell the tears that threatened to spill over but was unsuccessful. In the quiet of her room, she thought of the life she too quickly gave up and allowed the tears to flow freely.


	6. Chapter 6

River stood in the midst of a sea of bloody corpses. Reavers. She had killed them. One by one, she sliced through their skin, chopping heads, severing arteries and limbs. She bathed in their blood and rejoiced as it washed over her. It was intoxicating and it felt like she was drunk on the carnage. She laughed and spun around, dancing among the havoc that she wreaked. As she stood and watched the corpses around her, one of the monsters she had killed slowly turned its head toward her.

River's felt her hands fly up and cover her mouth as she stifled a gasp. It was Mal. He breathed shallowly, in and out, as he stared at her. His silent gaze peering at her from behind the Reaver mask as he asked just one question.

_Why?_

She felt her breathing quicken and she turned away, unable to face him. But suddenly, the corpses around her changed. They were no longer monsters, but her crew. She had killed her crew! Why had she done that? They stared at her and accused her.

_You killed us River. Why did you kill me, mei mei? _

Then she caught a glimpse of her face in a shard of broken glass.

She was a Reaver.

She was the monster.

River screamed. She cowered deep into a corner, as far away from the mutilated bodies as she could crawl. But no matter how far she crawled, they just seemed to get closer and closer until she was suffocated by the stench of death.

"Not real, not real, not real," she repeated over and over to herself like a mantra. She covered her head with her hands and said it again.

"This isn't real," she yelled aloud, through her tears. "It's not real!"

The bodies disappeared and were replaced by the darkness once again. River had come to be comforted by the darkness. The darkness meant she was awake and not trapped in an illusion. The darkness was her reality. She pulled against her bonds and realized that at some point, the man had replaced simple ropes with leather restraints.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked aloud, hoping the man was still there. "What do you want from me?"

A dark chuckle let her know that the man was still present in the room. Somewhere. River's heart pounded against her chest and she felt as though the fear would swallow her whole.

_In and out, in and out_.

River focused on her breathing. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes. She worked hard to bring her emotions into submission and when she was calm, she opened her eyes.

She was no longer in the dark room. She was back at That Place. It was impossible! River was strapped into a cold metal chair as a woman in a dark smock took a razor and shaved off her hair. She watched as her long dark locks fell to the ground and were casually stepped on by the doctors milling about the room. A man whom she did not recognize leaned in close to her and attached an apparatus to her skull.

River began to scream.

* * *

Back on the ship, Mal sat at dining hall table with a bottle of Kaylee's engine liquor in front of him. He was well on his way to being suitably drunk, which was what he had intended from the start. He had been woken by another dream a few hours ago and couldn't stop thinking about it and about his River. This time, River was trapped in a lab and was being poked and prodded by a dozen scientists. She was in pain and he felt her terror deep in his heart. He knew that wherever she was, she was scared, and that said a lot. He felt helpless to protect her. He gulped down another shot of the moonshine and poured himself another just as Inara walked into the mess.

"I'm so sorry," she said and turned to leave.

"Nothin to b'sorry bout," Mal slurred and waved her over. He indicated for her to sit in one of the seats across from her. Inara sat, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Whatcha doin here this late?" Mal managed to ask.

"I was going to make myself some tea," she responded, to which Mal nodded.

"Settlin inta your old routines, eh?" he replied as he took another swig of the strong alcohol. Inara stood, walked over to the stove, and turned the kettle on.

"So, wa's next?" Mal asked, leaning back to look at her. "Make some tea, see a client or two, call the Feds?" Inara slammed the kettle down on the stove and swung around to look at him.

"Damn it Mal!" she exclaimed. "I've told you, I only did what I thought was best! It was wrong, I can admit that, but…" Inara paused and took a shaky breath in an effort to compose herself.

"But what, 'Nara?" Mal prodded.

"It's nothing," she replied, picking up her tea. "I'll drink this in my bunk." She turned away and headed out the door.

"I'm not mad that you called the Feds," Mal called after her. Inara turned around and gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean," she asked.

"Hell, in your situation, I might've done the same thing," he drawled on.

"I'm afraid I still don't understand," Inara said. Mal looked down at his shot glass and tossed back the last few dregs.

"I understand your reasoning for calling the Feds, 'Nara," he continued. "I know you were only doing what you thought was best." Mal stood and walked over to the doorway where Inara still stood. He looked down at her and gave her a piercing glare.

"But in doing what you thought was best, instead of what was best for the crew, you put my family in danger. Specifically River. She could've gotten captured again, Inara. She could've gotten captured and she woulda been taken back to that place. And that's what I take issue with. You didn't trust me. You didn't trust that I knew what I was doing and you didn't trust River, either." Mal grabbed his bottle of liquor and stomped out of the room leaving Inara alone with her tea.

She was still standing there a few moments later when Peter brushed passed her and into the mess.

"You in or out?" he asked as he made a pot of coffee. Inara looked over at him, standing calmly against the counter. Without a word she walked over to the table and sat down. She took a small sip of her tea and sighed. Peter looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. He carried his steaming cup of coffee over to the table and sat across from her, examining her carefully.

"Ok spill," he said suddenly. Inara looked up from the careful examination of her tea and raised her own eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"You sat, you sighed, and then you proceeded to exam the contents of your mug as though it was the most interesting thing in the 'verse. For being a Companion, you aren't exactly bright at hiding your emotions since something is clearly bothering you. Either that or you want to talk about something, but want me to ask first. So spill." Peter leaned back in his chair and gave her a thoughtful stare. Inara ducked her head under his scrutiny, slightly taken aback that he was able to read her so well.

"I hate being treated like a pariah," she said after a moment. Peter nodded slightly, attempting to understand.

"Pardon me for being blunt," he replied. "But didn't you call the Feds on them? Think maybe they have every right to be mistrustful of you."

"True," Inara responded. "But you don't know the whole story."

"That may be so, but I don't have to be a psychic to know that whatever you did pissed off the entire crew, including Kaylee, and that ain't an easy feat," Peter said as he took a chug of coffee.

"Perhaps," Inara replied, sipping at her own beverage. "But I have my reasons."

"Then why don't you tell me your side of the story," Peter asked.

"Mal had landed a job on Beaumonde so I took the opportunity to take on a client," Inara began slowly. Peter leaned forward, interested in finally hearing the rest story.

"The man contracted me for several days, and since I hadn't had a client in a few weeks, I gladly obliged. You must understand that when I initially took this man as a client, I did not know what Mal's job entailed. Had I known, things would have turned out differently. My client was a connoisseur of fine art, including several rare pieces that would fetch millions of credits if on the open auction. This was well known among society circles, but what was slightly less well known was the fact that he was also in possession of several artifacts of a dangerous nature that would net a tidy profit on the black market." Inara paused and took a sip of her tea before she continued to speak.

"It turns out that Malcolm's services had been retained to liberate these artifacts from my client's possession," Inara watched Peter's reaction carefully. "If it were a simple matter of Mal stealing from a client, I could handle it. However, this man took great pride in showing off his new state-of-the-art security system, claiming its rigorous testing made it impossible for any person to get safely through. I was concerned for their safety. Knowing that their break-in was imminent, I did the only thing I thought I could at the time."

"You called the Feds," Peter interrupted. Inara nodded.

"Okay, I'm not following your logic, Miss Serra," he replied. "Explain to me why calling the Feds was a viable option."

"Because they would have died instantly had they tried to breach the security perimeter," Inara responded, slightly exasperated. "They've gotten out of run-ins with the Feds before, and I thought they could do it again. Which they did, I might add."

"Well," Peter said as he took his last sip of coffee. "I can see why that pissed off the Captain. Woulda pissed me off too. Especially since your logic is so flawed." Inara glanced up at him in confusion.

"Excuse me?" she said. Peter debated whether or not he wanted another mug of coffee before he continued to speak.

"I think that's a very clever story you've spun. Nice little lie you told yourself and the crew to ensure that you still look like a good person. But really, if you were concerned for their safety, you woulda just waved them in private and told the about the security system," he replied, setting his empty mug on the table. "I think something happened that made you want to get revenge on the Captain. Maybe jealousy. Maybe he just pissed you off a little too much one day. Whatever the real reason is, you called the Feds outta spite, no matter what you choose to tell yourself."

Inara shook her head and stood. She walked over to the sink and washed up her used mug.

"No," she replied, her voice shaking in anger. She carefully placed the mug back in its spot on the shelf. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

Peter walked up beside her and placed his mug in the sink as well.

"Listen," he said as he leaned against the counter. "I've lived far too long to care about past transgressions."

Inara became acutely aware of his invasion of her personal space and tried to take a step back, only to find he was blocking her exit.

"Please," she said, desperately trying to hide her shaky voice. "You're barely older than I am." Peter smirked and leaned over.

"Looks can be deceiving," he whispered into her ear. Inara felt a familiar warmth shoot through her veins and had to suppress a shudder. Peter gave her an arrogant smirk and walked out of the room, leaving Inara out of breath and frazzled.


	7. Chapter 7

It was early morning on the ship when Zoe exited her bunk and headed to the bridge for her flight shift. Ever since Wash had died two years earlier, her and Mal split the early morning and evening shifts, with River flying the in between. She cherished the early morning. No one else was awake yet so no one bothered her as she flew the ship and remembered. She would think on all the wonderful times she had with her husband, and sometimes it felt like he was sitting next to her. When those times struck, she was especially thankful for the privacy because it meant she could talk to him and no one would think her crazy.

She walked onto the bridge and stopped short, surprised to see Mal asleep in the pilot's chair with an empty bottle of Kaylee's engine brew on the floor next to him. The sight of him like this shocked her. He had a few days worth of stubble growing on his face and his eyes were red and puffy. He reeked like Kaylee's moonshine. Zoe touched his shoulder lightly and startled him awake.

"Sir," she said with a touch of concern. "Maybe you should go rest in your bunk." Mal sat up straighter in the chair and shook his head.

"Can't sleep in there without her," he replied in a hoarse voice. "Don't feel right." Zoe sat in the co-pilot's chair opposite him.

"Sir, with all due respect, you look like hell," she said after a moment. "You need some rest. Maybe the doc can give you something."

"Gorram it, Zoe," he exclaimed. "I don't want anything from the doc. I just want my girl back, safe and sound."

"Malcolm," Zoe responded. Mal looked up in surprise. Zoe rarely used his full name. She preferred formal addresses like Sir and Captain.

"Mal," she said again. "I know what it feels like to lose the one you love. Hell, I know better than anyone on this boat what it means to have that person torn away from you. But you gotta remember something, sir. She ain't dead! She needs you to rescue her."

"What if we can't find her, Zoe?" Mal asked. "What do I do?" Zoe had never seen her captain this helpess. Even in all the battles they fought, he kept an optimistic outlook until the bitter end. There was nothing he couldn't do and he made sure the whole universe knew it. So it shook her to the core to see him so despondent and hopeless.

"Don't even be thinking that way, Mal!" she stated firmly as she gripped his shoulders. "You think on one thing, and that's getting to River and getting her home safe and sound."

Mal chuckled and rubbed his face with his hands. He regarded his formidable second in command with the respect that she deserved.

"You givin orders on my boat, now, Zoe?" he asked with a hint of a grin. Zoe gifted him with a rare smile in return.

"Only to you, sir," she replied. Mal sighed and stared out the window into the deep dark blackness of space.

"I've been having these dreams, Zoe," he said after a moment. Zoe looked over at him with a questioning look on her face.

"Care to elaborate on that, sir?" she asked.

"I've been dreaming about River," he replied quietly. "S'why I can't sleep. These dreams been waking me up most nights and the nights they don't, I don't feel as though I've slept at all." Zoe cocked her head to the side and regarded her captain intensely.

"What are these dreams about, sir?" she asked intently. Mal rested his hands against the console and leaned forward, taking a deep breath. He looked over at the woman he'd known for more than ten years and trusted with his life.

"Been different things mostly. Every time I fall asleep, it's something new. But it's always the same, if'n that makes any sense," he began. Zoe nodded at him, indicating he should continue.

"The other night, 'fore we picked up Peter, I dreamt about her in a dark room. She was strapped into a chair and she was screaming. Woke me up in a cold sweat because I could feel her fear," he continued. "Then tonight, I dreamt of her twice. First time, she was standing in the middle of a pile of bloody Reavers. I was watching her from the ground, and it's almost like she saw me, but then she panicked. Then, it switched and she was back in the dark room again. That's when I woke up. I tried to get myself back to sleep, but when I did, I saw her again strapped into a chair in an infirmary somewhere. They was poking her with needles. And she was screaming. They were hurting her, Zoe."

At this statement, Mal broke down and he didn't know whether it was the lack of sleep, the stress, feeling as though a piece of him had been ripped away, or a combination of all three. The man had never cried his whole gorram life, even when he cradled his mother's lifeless body in his arms back on Shadow. He stood fast and never let his emotions get the best of him. But here he was, sitting on the bridge of his mighty ship, crying like his world had ended.

"Have you talked to Peter about these dreams?" Zoe asked quietly after a moment, almost afraid to interrupt. Mal took a shaky breath and tried to calm himself down.

"Yeah," he replied. "He, uh, he offered to do some sort of crazy psychic meditatin' with me."

"Did you take him up on the offer?" Zoe responded. Mal shook his head.

"Well, sir," Zoe said. "I think maybe it'd be a good idea." Mal nodded in agreement.

"Think maybe you're right, Zoe," he replied, standing up. "Think maybe I'm gonna go find him." Zoe nodded and took over the flight controls as Mal exited the bridge and made his way down to the passenger quarters to find Peter.

* * *

Peter was sitting on the couch in the passenger's area with his feet propped up on a low table. He had gotten a hold of one of Jayne's gun magazines and was flipping through the pages. Every few moments he would glance up and look at the sliding door leading into the passenger dorm Inara was bunked in. She hadn't emerged since their discussion the previous evening and he was getting tempted to knock on the door and see how she was doing.

The sound of Mal stumbling down the stairs into the common room interrupted him from his thoughts.

"Peter," the Captain said sitting down on the couch next to him. "Remember how you were telling me about that meditation stuff. That maybe you could form a connection with River, or at least strengthen the one that's there." Peter nodded.

"Well, I want you to do it," Mal continued. "I'm having more dreams of her. Strong dreams and I know they're real. I need your help cause I can't do anything about them." Mal took a shaky breath and looked at the young man sitting beside him.

"Alright," Peter replied. "I'd rather do this with the doc present, if you don't mind. Just in case something happens."

"What do you think might happen?" Mal asked. "Is it anything that might put River in danger?"

"I don't know," Peter answered, shaking his head. "I've never established a psychic link through a third party. I just don't want to risk anything happening to you, since you're the only link we have."

"Then we better go find the doc," Mal replied as he stood. Peter followed him down to the engine room where they found Simon lying on Kaylee's hammock watching her work.

"Hey doc," Peter said, carefully stepping over the scattered tools and stray wires. Simon sat up and swung his legs over the side of the hammock.

"We need your help," he continued. Simon stood and looked from Peter to Mal.

"What do you need me to do?"

An hour later, the crew, including Inara, had gathered in the infirmary to witness what was about to occur. Mal and Peter were sat face to face on the metal infirmary stools, while Simon hooked them up to the cardiac monitors and checked their vitals.

"If anything unusual happens, then you need to break off the link," Simon said to Peter. "I'll be monitoring you guys closely, but I'm not sure how much good I'll be if things go south."

Peter nodded and looked at Mal, who sat there nervously.

"Maybe you should lie down, Mal," he suggested.

Without a word, Mal climbed onto the stretcher and lay down. Peter brought his stool closer to where Mal laid and closed his eyes as he concentrated hard.

_Mal bolted upright and looked around frantically. He was sitting on a bench in a dark room. He scanned the room and saw that he was not alone. Peter sat on a stool beside him._

"_Where are we?" Mal asked as he tried to quell the rising ride of fear that threatened to overtake him._

"_We're in your mind," Peter replied. "I need you to focus. Try focus on River."_

_Mal closed his eyes and breathed deeply._

_In, out, in, out._

_He opened his eyes and saw River strapped into a chair a few feet away. He quickly rose and rushed over to her._

"_Bao bei," he whispered as he softly stroked her face and kissed her gently. "Darlin' it's me. Open your eyes."_

_River squeezed her eyes shut and began muttering._

"_Not real, not real," she cried. She began to shake the screamed: "Why are you doing this to me?!"_

_Mal grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her lightly._

"_River, open your eyes," he commanded. "It's me! It's your Mal!" River opened her eyes and saw him for the first time._

"_Mal," she said breathlessly. "How did you…I mean…what are you doing here?"_

"_There's no time, darlin'," he replied in a hurry. "I need you to tell me where you are so's I can come get you." River shook her head as the tears streamed down her face._

"_I don't know," she answered frantically. "I don't know. He has me here. You have to leave. He'll see you and then he won't let you leave."_

_Peter walked over to Mal and grabbed him by the arm. _

"_I know where we are. We have to go," he said, dragging the man away from his lover. Mal wrenched his arm free._

"_I can't leave her," he replied. Peter was about to argue when a voice echoed through the room._

"_Well, isn't this an interesting development."_

_River began to cry harder._

"_Please," she begged._

_A sudden force knocked the breath out of Peter and sent him stumbling backwards._

Peter opened his eyes and saw the doctor leaning over him with a worried expression. He looked over and saw Mal lying on the stretcher, still unconscious but breathing.

"What happened?" Simon demanded. "Your pulse accelerated to a dangerous level and I couldn't wake you up." Peter looked around the room, wide-eyed and unable to speak. He quickly stood up and headed toward the bridge. Simon ran beside him, trying to keep up while Zoe trailed behind.

"You shouldn't be up, I have no idea what happened in there. I need to make sure you're alright!" he exclaimed as they walked. "And why is Mal still unconscious?"

"Maybe you should go back there and check on your patient, doc," Peter said as he stalked onto the bridge and sat down at the console, adjusting the course heading. Simon grabbed him by the arm.

"Not until you tell me exactly what happened," he demanded. Peter turned and stared at the young doc.

"We were able to establish a successful link with your sister," he replied after a moment. "She had no idea where she was being held, but I did. Before we were able to sever the link, Sylar discovered the connection. He pushed me out. I can only assume he's keeping Mal trapped within River's psyche for his own sick amusement. He might be able to break free on his own, but he needs to be monitored closely."

Simon let go of Peter's arm and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Alright then," he said with a nod. "I'll be in the infirmary if you need me." He brushed quickly past Zoe who had been standing in the doorway during the exchange. Peter barely acknowledged her presence as she sat down in the co-pilot's chair beside him.

"Mal ain't gonna be able to break that link by himself, is he?" she asked. Peter shook his head.

"Then our only hope of waking him up is to rescue River?" she continued. "I'm assuming you're taking us to where this Sylar is holding her." Peter nodded and adjusted a few more of the controls. Zoe glanced over and saw the course heading.

They were headed deep into the Dead Zone.

They were headed to Earth-that-was.


	8. Chapter 8

_Serenity_ drifted closer and closer to the area everyone within the Alliance knew as the "Dead Zone". Flashing red perimeter beacons marked the outer edge of Alliance territory warning off any vessels that had gotten strayed too close.

Not that any vessel would purposefully stray toward that area. Not if they knew what was in store for them if they did.

Zoe sat in the pilot's chair and stared out into the vastness of space. It was usually a comfort to her, but tonight it brought forth memories of her worst nightmares. The only sound that could be heard on the bridge was the first officer's quiet breathing as she recalled her childhood growing up on a transport freighter. In between her school lessons, her uncle would tell her tales of what existed beyond the beacons. Thousands of light years of dead, empty space, he told her as he tucked her into bed at night. Liable to make a man go crazy if he stayed out there too long, uncle would say. He was a smart man who knew what he was talking about, which is why Zoe shuddered as she stared. If she had any other choice, she would have turned this ship around and headed full-burn in the other direction.

"It's so creepy," Kaylee said as she walked onto the bridge, wrapped up tightly in a knit blanket. Zoe turned slightly to look at the mechanic.

"Seems a mite odd that there ain't any patrols out this way," the younger woman continued quietly. "Figure if the Alliance didn't want people to enter this area, they'd at least have some ships or something."

"Ain't nothing to protect," Zoe replied, her face calm and reserved as usual, but her eyes betraying the fear she felt deep inside. "That's why it's called the Dead Zone. Way I heard it, there's nothing out here worth going after so the Alliance doesn't care who tries to enter. No man that's ever entered the Dead Zone has come back out alive. They say you can travel for years and never meet another living soul. They say a man's liable to go crazy if'n he stays out there too long."

Kaylee shivered and wrapped the blanket tighter around herself at the sudden feeling of coldness that washed over her.

"Well, I'm gonna go see how the Cap'n's doing." she said quietly as she turned around, leaving the soldier alone to her introspection.

Zoe nodded solemnly then resumed her staring.

* * *

_Bao bei, why are you here?_

_I have to protect you, River. _

_But he'll kill you._

_Not if he doesn't know I'm still here. Now keep quiet._

River opened her eyes and stared into the blackness of the dark room. She saw nothing but the man standing above her, staring down at her strapped helplessly into the chair. His sinister penetrating gaze sent chills up and down her spine.

_His name is Sylar._

_Don't speak, he'll hear you._

"Where did he go?" the man said. River closed her eyes tightly, her heart pounding in her chest as she used all her willpower to shut the man out.

"Where did he go!" he yelled again as he grabbed her arms and shook her hard. Tears threatened to spill and River shut her eyes tightly to keep them contained, but it was no use. Tears began streaming down her face as her breathing quickened and she moaned. The man kept shaking her, trying to force an answer from her, trying to force her to open her mind to him once again.

Then, the girl's most basic survival and protection instincts took over. She knew she had to protect the man she loved and so she did the only thing she could. The only thing she was trained to do. The girl buried herself deeper and deeper into the farthest recesses of her mind until what was left on the outside was a mere babbling shell of the person she once was. All that remained of River was the girl.

"Will never know. Will never tell," she sighed dreamily not caring when Sylar yanked her out of her chair and threw her to the ground like a ragdoll. River laughed.

She squealed and giggled, then crawled to the wall and hid her face behind her hair. She was hidden now. She was safe. He would never find her because she would never say a word. They had trained her to withstand worse.

Sylar turned away without a word. His face contorted into a grimace, his breathing deep and heavy. The girl was hiding from him, but he wasn't worried. This was all part of her programming. Those scientists created her this way so no enemies could unlock her mysteries and recreate her working code. But they were mere mortals. Limited in their scope and practice. They didn't factor in all the variables. They didn't think there was another psychic that would want to break her. After all, she was too dangerous. It was too easy to get lost in her mind. The girl was so powerful, even as a bruised and cracked shell, that all the others stayed away.

Sylar smirked and had River been watching him, she would have shuddered at the look of evilness that crossed his face. Sylar smirked because he knew something those scientists did not. This girl was powerful, but Sylar was more powerful.

Turning around, Sylar knelt down by the young girl who sat babbling in the corner. He tenderly stroked her face and brushed a stray hair out of her eyes.

"Now River," he said in a quiet and melodic voice. "I need you to pay close attention because we're going to try something new."

* * *

"How is he doc?" Peter questioned impatiently, pacing back and forth through the infirmary. Simon glanced up and sighed as he tiredly rubbed his eyes. The doctor looked haggard and unshaven. There were bags under his eyes and he looked as though he hadn't slept in days.

"It's difficult to say," Simon responded, running his fingers through his dark hair. "As far as I can tell, he's in some sort of reverse cortical depression. He's in a hyper-aware condition that has driven him into a comatose state. His vital signs are all normal and what I have been able to scan indicates his brain is working at full capacity. There is no reason for him to be in a coma. The problem is that I can't figure out what's causing it and how to reverse it."

Simon hovered near Mal's comatose body and began to scan it again. Without warning, Mal began to jerk erratically and foam started issuing from his mouth. Peter rushed over to the stretcher and held the seizing man down. Simon grabbed an anticonvulsant from the med drawer and began pumping it into the Captain's body, but the drug had no effect.

"Why isn't it working?" Peter demanded, struggling while he restrained Mal. Simon gave a worried glance up at the heart rate readout.

"I don't know," replied Simon as he pulled out another drug and injected it into the Captain's deep muscle tissue.

"Too high," the doctor muttered to himself. "His heart rate is way too high."

Peter watched as the doctor pulled out another drug and began drawing it up in a long syringes. The monitor attached to the Captain began beeping as the numbers on the readout steadily climbed higher and higher until suddenly Mal stopped moving. It took a moment for Peter and Simon to realize what had happened and as they did, the numbers slowly leveled out until they were within an acceptable range.

"What happened?" Peter asked. Simon shook his head and continued examining Mal.

"I don't know," Simon replied. He flashed a small light into Mal's eyes and watched the pupil reaction.

"He had some kind of a seizure," Simon continued. "But I don't know what caused it."

Peter suddenly let go of Mal and stumbled backward, away from the now still body. He stared at the hands that had been connected to Mal as though they were foreign objects. His breathing quickened and became erratic and he was vaguely aware of a voice off in the distance. It took him a moment to realize that the voice sounding through the fog was the doctor asking him if he was alright. He tried to answer but found that he couldn't. it was as though his mind was being dragged away from reality and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Then there was nothing but black.

* * *

Zoe was sitting on the bridge contemplating the strange turn of events that brought them to the point of entering the Dead Zone when Simon's panicked voice sounded out over the comm channel.

"Zoe, I need you in the med bay right now," the doctor's insistent voice sounded through the channel, interrupting her thoughts.

Zoe quickly left the bridge and rushed to the med bay, worried that something had happened to the Captain but she wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted her. She stopped short in the doorway at the sight of Peter laid out on the table beside the Captain. Mal was still unconscious, but now it appeared as though Peter had also slipped into a comatose state.

"What happened here?" Zoe demanded as she entered the infirmary.

Simon looked up at her as she walked over to check on Mal.

"I don't know," he replied, rubbing the tired feeling out of his eyes. "I was performing some scans on the Captain, trying to figure out how to draw him out of this state when he had a seizure of some sort. Peter helped me restrain him while I attempted to stop the seizue and then Peter blacked out."

"Is it related somehow?" Zoe folded her arms as a worried look crossed her face. Simon shook his head and leaned against the counter.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I know I seem to be saying that a lot lately, but I have no explanation for you, Zoe. Neuroscience is hardly my area of expertise, despite the issues River was having. Biopsychology is even further from field of knowledge."

The doctor and the first mate stood in silence for a moment, gathering in the scene that had unfolded before them. Mal, who was the only man who could connect with River, and Peter, the only man who knew what to look for, were lying unconscious before them and they had no indication of how or why this happened.

"So what do we do now?" Simon broke the silence a few minutes later. Zoe looked at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"We find some way of waking them up," she replied in a serious and authoritative tone. "Until then, we continue on the course Peter set for us. Because that's our job and the Captain would do no less for any of us."


	9. Chapter 9

_"River!" Simon pushed his way through the crowded street frantically calling out for his sister. She was there! He had just seen her. Where was she? There were too many people. Too many people keeping him from getting to her. From rescuing her._

_Didn't they know she needed him?_

_"Get out of my way!" He yelled at the people blocking his path. He craned his neck, vainly trying to see over the crowd. He caught a glimpse of River's dark hair through the sea of people, but as quickly as he saw her, he lost her again._

_"River!" he yelled again as he was carried away by the crowd._

_"River!" he called her name again, hoping to catch her attention._

_River turned and looked at him, her eyes empty and devoid of any feeling. She stared at him. Her gaze penetrated his soul and scratched at the surface of his mind, like an itch that he couldn't reach._

_"River!" he screamed. But then she was gone._

Simon sat up in bed panting heavily, his body drenched with sweat. He ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed his eyes.

A dream. It was just a dream.

The steady hum of the ship's engine connected him to reality as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat on the edge. He felt the cool metal of the floor beneath his feet, a reminder of where he was.

"Bao bei?" Kaylee sat up sleepily and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Simon, what's wrong?" Simon shuddered and took a deep breath.

"It's nothing, Kaylee," he replied after he had caught his breath. "Go back to sleep."

"It's not nothing," Kaylee responded. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Simon shrugged off Kaylee's embrace and stood up. In a swift movement, he pulled on his shirt and walked over to the hatch.

"I said it's nothing," he said as he climbed up the ladder, leaving Kaylee alone and confused. Fighting back her tears, she drew the blankets up closer and lied back down on the bed. Taking a trembling breath, she wiped away a few tears that managed to escape and buried her head in her pillow.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

With a sigh she finally let go and sobbed into her pillow.

* * *

Jayne sat alone in the mess hall, polishing his guns. The smooth back and forth movement calmed him and right now he needed all the calm he could get.

Two weeks.

Two weeks they had been floating out in this god-forsaken stretch of Black with nary another living soul to be seen, cept what was on this boat and two of those were near ghosts anyhow, far as he could tell.

It was all downright unsettlin'.

Jayne glanced up as Zoe walked silently into the mess hall and pulled a mug out of the cupboard above the sink. He watched as she poured herself a drink and leaned up against the counter, losing herself to her thoughts as she sipped at the beverage.

"Something interestin' Jayne?" she asked, an eyebrow raised and her expression tight.

"Nope." Jayne quickly looked back down at his guns and picked one up. His grip on the weapon faltered for a moment as he glanced back up at the woman still standing by the sink.

"How much longer we gonna be out here, Zoe?" he questioned. His usual strong voice tinged with apprehension and something else Zoe couldn't quite identify. Placing her cup on the countertop, she crossed her arms and took her natural strong stance before she answered his question.

"Until we find what we came out here for," she replied but that wasn't a good enough answer for Jayne. He'd been through a lot in his lifetime before finally finding a crew he could call family. But as far as he could tell, continuing on in the direction they was going was suicide.

"And how long is it gonna be until we find it? Folks are getting a mite tetchy round here," he asked, his guns forgotten on the table in front of him. Zoe sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I don't know," she replied, her strength faltering. The past two weeks had been hard on everyone and the cracks were starting to show. "I just can't give up on them. Mal wouldn't give up on any of us."

"I ain't giving up." Jayne leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. "Hell, I ain't ever been with a crew long as this one. That's gotta mean something in the 'verse, right?"

"S'pose it does." Zoe walked over and sat in the chair across from the mercenary, propping her feet up on the table.

"Mal's done a lot for me, ya know. I know I oughtta repay the favor." Jayne began fidgeting with the edge of his oil rag. "Tell ya the truth, l'il Crazy's grown on me too."

"Well now, that's mighty touching, Jayne." Zoe leaned back in her chair and gazed at the mercenary. She never knew him to be forthcoming with his feelings and this moment of confession was a tad disturbing for her to hear.

"Way I figure it, folks don't have to be blood to be family." Zoe nodded in agreement. "But that don't mean they're any less close to ya."

"Why you telling me all this, Jayne?" Zoe interrupted. "If this is s'posed to be some sort of confession, I ain't no Shepherd."

"Ain't meaning it to be a confession, Zoe," came the reply. "But ya gotta remember we're the ones that're still alive. Ain't nothing wrong if we keep on livin'."

Jayne stood and gathered his tools together, wrapping them carefully into his leather carrying case. As he collected his guns and headed for the door, he turned and spoke once more.

"Mal would be proud of the way you've handled his ship, Zoe."

As he left, Zoe pondered his statement. Mal would be proud.

Would he? Zoe didn't know for certain. Sure, she'd kept them all from killing each other these past two weeks, but what was the point if they were all gonna die anyhow?

With a sigh, Zoe rose from her chair and stalked off in the direction of the infirmary. It wouldn't do her any good to dwell on their present situation. She was doing the right thing. She had to be. Otherwise she was sentencing them all to a cold, heartless death.

Where was the honor in that?

* * *

Simon was bent over his instrument panel, lost in his own world as he checked in the status of his two comatose patients.

Two weeks had passed and they showed no sign of improvement. A man could only survive without his mind for so long and Simon wasn't sure how much longer that was.

Aggravated, he sat up straight and rubbed his eyes. He was tired. He hadn't slept, hadn't eaten in days. He had gone over the same readouts and the same body scans for days and had found nothing new. With a heavy sigh he stood up from his stool and watched as it was knocked onto the ground. With a frustrated yell he kicked it across the room and winced as it barely missed Zoe.

"Sorry," Simon said, his cheeks tinged red and his face grim. "I didn't see you there." Zoe cocked an eyebrow and glanced down at the stool by her feet.

"Obviously," she replied. "How is he?"

"Mal?" Zoe nodded. Simon sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know." He paused for a moment and leaned against the counter.

"He's deteriorating, Zoe," he said after a minute of silence. "If we don't find this planet soon and set things right, he'll die and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

Zoe opened her mouth to respond when Jayne's voice came booming through the overhead comm system.

"Zoe, Simon, get down to the engine room now!" Simon jumped up and ran out of the room when Jayne's voice was followed by a loud, piercing shriek that could only belong to one person: Kaylee.

With Zoe hot on his heels, Simon quickly reached the engine room and stopped short in the doorway at the sight that greeted him. Jayne was bent over the huddled and quivering form of the usually cheerful mechanic. Tears streamed down her face as she shook and backed away from the hulking mercenary.

"What the hell's going on here?" Zoe authoritative voice rang through the ruckus. Jayne jumped back and looked at her, wide eyed and fearful.

"I dunno what happened!" he exclaimed as Simon pushed him out of the way and knelt down by Kaylee. "I came in here and she was like this. All whimpering and scared-like." Simon glared up at him.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded. Jayne held up his hands and backed away from the angry doctor.

"I ain't done nothing to her," he replied, his face hardening. "She was like this when I got here. I told ya that."

"You must have done something," Simon retorted. Zoe stepped in between the two men, intervening before things got out of hand.

"Hey now!" she commanded. "Let's not be making accusations. Simon, she gonna be okay?" Simon turned his attention back to the simpering mechanic and gently brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Kaylee," he said tenderly as he lifted her chin so she was looking at him. "Bao bei, are you alright?" Kaylee whimpered softly as she gazed into his eyes.

"Simon?" she questioned quietly before she clambered into his arms, holding onto him tightly. "We're all gonna die, Simon!" Simon shushed her and gently stroked her grease-soaked hair.

"No, bao bei, we aren't going to die," he responded. Kaylee pulled back, her face panic stricken and her eyes wide.

"Yes, we are," she answered, wiping away the tears. "We're gonna die because we don't have enough fuel to get back and we don't even know where we're headed. It's been two weeks! Two weeks! How'd that man even reach Earth-that-was so fast, anyhow? He's a demon! I just know it! And he means to kill us if the Black don't get us first." Kaylee collapsed on the floor and sobbed hysterically.

"Get her out of here, Simon." Simon glanced up at the harshness in Zoe's tone. "Get her some place else, someplace calming." Simon could only nod at the woman's command as he gathered Kaylee up into his arms and carried her out of the engine room. Zoe put out one hand to stop Jayne from following them. A silent look passed between the two warriors as they both recognized what was beginning to overtake the crew.

"Space psychosis," Jayne muttered silently. "Think what she's said is true?" Zoe shrugged and looked away, unwilling to meet his piercing gaze.

"Might be, Kaylee knows this ship better than anyone," she replied after a moment. "She'd know if we had enough to get us back."

"Then we're gonna die out here?" Zoe finally met the mercenary's eyes, her face grim and foreboding.

"Perhaps not," she answered. "I'm counting on something else she mentioned."

"What's that?" he questioned, a look of askance plastered across his face.

"That man ain't a demon, Jayne," Zoe said. "He had to get out here faster than us. I'm just hoping that whatever way got him out here will get us back."

Before Jayne could reply, the harsh noise of the proximity alarms sounded throughout the corridors and the ship suddenly dropped out of hyperspace. The ship lurched violently, throwing both Jayne and Zoe off balance.

"What the gorram sphincter of hell was that?" Jayne exclaimed.

"Dunno. You stay down here and man the engines, Jayne," Zoe replied as she pulled herself upright and held onto the bulkhead for support. "I'll be on the bridge."

Another violent lurch nearly threw Zoe off balance again, slamming her against the wall as she made her way from the engines to the bridge. Silently, she prayed to whatever gods were in the sky that they made it out of this situation alive.

The sight that greeted her when she reached the bridge left her speechless. Approaching them fast, was Earth-that-was.


End file.
